Ignition system and apparatus.



R. VARLBY.

IGNITION SYSTEM AND APPARATUS. APPLICATION YILBD OUT. 10.19!2.

1,07 1 ,373, Patented Aug. 26, 19.13.

4 SHEBTB-SHEET 1.

I y I E We? 43, HIP 3 R. VARLEY.

IGNITION SYSTEM AND APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED 00110. 1912.

1,071,373. Pat nted Aug.- 26, 1913.1 4 sums-sum 2.

WITNESSES R. VARLEY.

IGNITION SYSTEM AND APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED 001210, 1912.

Patented Aug. 26, 1913.

4 SHEETS-SHEBT 3.

FIG. 10

M @aza R. VARLEY. IGNITION SYSTEM AND APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 001210, 1912.

1,071,373; I v Patented Aug. 26,1913. 1 2 4 sums-snnm 4.

UNITED srATEs a trENT OFFICE.

RICHARD VARLEY, OF ENGLEWOOD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T VARLEY DUPLfiX MAGNET COMPANY, OF JERSEY CITY; NEW JERSEY. A CORPORATION OF NEW' JERSEY.

IGNITION SYSTEM AND APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 26, 1 t l t 3.

Application filed OctobcrlO, 1912. Serial No. 724,928.

. of which the following is a full, clear, and

exact description, reference bein had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

This invention relates to ignition systems for explosion engines and has particular reference to that part of the system known as the timer or controller whereby the ignition circuit is opened or closed in proper synchronism with the engine cycle.

The primary object of the invention is theprovision of a timer or similar apparatus in which the contact members or associated parts are relieved from constant contactual shiftin or operative vibration when not cmploye( in ignition capacity, as when the timer is in an auxiliary circuit or equipment used only in starting or in slow runningof the engine which at other times utiliz'eszi separate or magneto or dynamo ignition circuit.

in the employment of a duatignition systom or alternative dynamo or magneto generator andbatteryequipment, non-use (electrically) of the timer in the circuit of one sou rrc of current during the utilization of the other current source, does not render the timer, as heretofore constructed me chanically inoperative during running of the engine. The result is that; although the timer is utilized infrequently and for perioils of short duration, for the remainder of the time it continues to be mechanically driven (usually at .high injurious speed) with attending ready and excessive needless wear or mutilation" and consequent short life of the timer contacts and bearing points. I also aim to so construct my timer orcontrollcrthat itshall not materially vary structurally from the regular standard types of timer;that it shall be compact and symmetrical; and shall'have the minimum number of parts.

in describing my invention I will refer to the accompanying drawing showing, partly diagrammati -m invention as applied to several types of ignition timers or controllate. It will be apparent, without'necessity of specific illustration, to those skilled in the art, that my invention is equallyapplicable to other forms of timcrsgmdldo not therefore desire to limit. myself thereto.

Figure l is a top plan view of a timer or ignition controller embodying my invention, the contacts being closed; Fig. 2 is a similar view, the contacts being shown as in an inoperative condition mechanically and electrically; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sec tional view on the line 33 of Fig. I; Fig.

4 is a diagrammatic view, showing electrical connections of the timer of the preceding' view; Fig. 5 is a similar view showing my invention as applied to aninterrupter mechanism to be hereinafter more fully described; Fig. 6 is a top plan view of a timer of the roller type, embodying my inventiorn and showing the contacts sepa rated; Fig. 7 is a section on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a top plan'view showing the timer in an operative condition; Fig. 9

is an enlar 'ed fragmentary section on. the line 9 9 o 8; Fig. 10 is a diagram lnatic view showing the ignition circuit of the roller timer; Fig10 is a fragmeptary diagrammatic view showing electrical con.- nection of the roller contact arm and magnet; Fig. 11 is a diagrammatic view showing my invention as applied to an ordinary spring-arm timer; Fig. 12 is a similar view showing my invention as applied to a multiple arm timer;.the arm shifting members;

being removed; Fig. 13 is a top fragmentary plan view showing the contact arms in opcrative position; Fig. 14 is a similar view showing the arms shifted to inoperative or noncontact position; Fig. 15 is a section on the line 1515 of Fig. 13;'an d'-Fig. 16 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view showing rclativearrangement of shifting member and contact arms.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, I have shown a type of controlling device wherein a movable contact is rocked or oscillated by 'a cam through the intermediaryof a spring pressed reciprocable lever. The movable contact 2 is preferably carried by a spring arm or yieldable lever 3, pivoted to the base piece 4 of the timer'casingfi and normally held in non-closipg position against a stop 6 by a coiled spring 7. From a fulcrum piece 8 leads a lever 9 interposed between the lever 3 and a revoluble cam 10. The

ioo

cam 10 is formed on a head piece 11 which no turns the lever9 upon the latters release from a moving projection 13 preparatory to its engagement by the next advancing projection on the cam, and as said lever 9 is released it rides over the curved face of the projection, being forced outwardly thereby and into engagement with the bearing point 15 so as to move the contact 2 against the contact 16. This-action is quick and decisive, the contact being instantaneously made and broken as the lever 9 passes from and over the cam projection. The'base 4 is rotatably shiftahle about the head 11 for adjustment of the lever 9 relatively to the camprojections, to advance or retard the spark as is well understood by those skilled in the art. For this purpose the timer casing has the usual adjusting-arm 18. i

Pivoted at 19 to, the base 4 or frame of the timer, is a lever 20 having a terminal portion 21 adjacent the lever 9 and an arm 22 which'formsr a .n armatu re for the magnet 23. The contact fl'fi-is preferablyinsulated and connected incircu t'with the battery 24: (or other source), while the contact lever 3 and, therefore the contact 2, is pref; erably grounded. The magnet 23 is connected at- 25-with thebattery circuit and also grounded (through the-timer frame) at 26- so'that it is shunt therewith. A cus itomary ignition circuit is shown with an intercalated prim coil 27,-a secondar coil 28 leading to distribute: 29, and a con enser 5 30having a: live connectionwith the primary circuit'and grounded, while the numeral 31 indicates a switch which may be located at any convenient point on the vehicle and by which the circuit is connected and disconnected with the battery. Normally the lever 9is held out of operative position-or free from engagement with the traveling projections-on the cam 10 by a spring .32 which holds the lever 20 in such a position as to bring the nose or terminal portion 21 thereof into the path ofthe lever 9, as-shown in A suitalule stop 33 prevents the lever.20 from crowding'the le- 'ver 9 against the adjoining-contact lever. 50 Upon closing of the switch 31 and energizing of'the magnet 23 the arm 22 moves toward the magnet, swinging the lever 20 and retracting the nose 21 and allowing the lever 9 to move, under the action of the'sprinfi 5 17 into engagement and cotiperation wit' will cam 36, freeing the bearing block 39. RV 1 the cam for operative oscillatory shifting of the contact lever 3. Immediately upon dcenergizing of the magnet the spring pressed lever 20 will again move to the position shown in Fig. 2, forcing the lever 9 from the path .of the moving cam projections. \V hen the lever 9 occupies the imperative position shown in Fig. 2.:1 stop or lug 3-1 serves to overcome such downward shifting of the said lever by the spring 17, as would prevent reE-ugagement of lever and cam when the lever 20 is attracted or in the position shown in Fig. 1. Very little battery current is used as the tension of the spring 32 need he ve 'y slight to shift the lever 9 89 from the cam and the magnetic force re-' quired to overcome the spring pressure is therefore not great and furthermore the magnet is only energized during utilization of the timer.

In Fig. 5 I show that. type of controller wherein the primary circuit 35 is momentarily interrupted by separation of the contacts 2 and 16; the condenser 30' discharging through the primary circuit 35, the primary coil 27 and producing a high tension currentin the secondary winding 01' coil 23 in a well-known manner. The cam 36 has projections 13 which in number correspond to the cylinders of the engine, as in the case of timer shown in Figs. 1 to l. The contact lever 13 is preferably grounded while the contact 16 is insulated and connected directly in the battery circuit. The numeral" 37 indicates a pivoted lover or armature 106 which cooperates with the.. ma, "uet 23,-to hold, through the medium of a coil spring 38, the insulated bearing block 39 of the lever 3 against the cam 36, when said magnet is energized. Upon disconnection of the battery and-deenergizing of the magnet'23 and resultant reduction of tension of -the: sprin 38, a spring 40 leading to lever 3;

raw the latter lever awaj' from the" employing the intermediate spring 38, Hiriations of eurrcntjstrength in the magnet are not objectionably manifested in i r:egular bearingof the lever 3' against the cam,- but such action is always positive irrespective of such variatidus as may occur in the circuit.

My invention is. also readily applicableto' the so called roller timer. l'n Figs. 6 to 10 inclusive isshown the usual roller timer in '13 so far as concerns its general construction. The frame or casing 4 has the insulated contacts 16' symmetrically arranged concentrically about the timer shaft 12 on which is mounted a head portion 11 carry 1! ing the llsllill pivotal yieldable roller contact arm 4t adapted to successively engage contact segments 16. In timers of this type as hemtoforc constructed, .the roller arm 41 is held extended by a suitable spring, 1

for contact service .as the head 11 is re- \'ol\'e(l,. and there is no provision for repressing the roller arm when the timer is not in ignition service. To accomplish such object- I horizontally pivotally mount between posts 42 on the head iece 11 a foot piece 43, the pivot 43 of which, fixedly carried by the foot, extends beyond one of the pivotal posts or bearings 42 and is provided with a lever arm 44 depending at an angle to the plane -of the foot 43. Connecting this arm 44 and the tail 45 of the roller arm is a spring 38'; and also leading from the forward end of the rollcr'arm to the head 11" 15 is a spring 40' which normally holds the roller arm and contact roller 2' in a retracted or non-contactposition. Mounted preferably in the cover 46 of the t-imer is an elcctro magnet 23 having a reciprocable plunger armature 22' the lower reduced end of which depends into pivotal pointengagementwith the foot. piece 43 (see Figs. 7

and 9). i

The. ignition circuit for the roller timer is shown in Fig. 10. The segmental contacts 16 connect with individual trembler coils 27' which in turn are connected in the pri-- mary or battery circuit 24. The roller contact arm 41 is preferably grounded, while the electro magnet, connected at 25 to the battery circuit-. is also grounded at 26 (see Fig. 10). Closing of the switch 31 connects the battery 24 in ignition circuit cqmmensurately completed and broken by tragel 35 of the roller contact 2' over segments 16'.

Placing the battery in circuit energizes the magnet- 23' so that the plunger armature is impelled downwardly, as shown in Fig. 9, in such mannei as to depress the foot piece 49 43 and swing the arm 44 away from the tail of the roller arm, thereby placing the. spring 38" under tension and moving the roller arm into extended or operative. positiiin for contact service, as shown in Fig. 3.. Im-

45 mediately upon breaking of the circuit 24 or openingot the switch 31 and resultantdeenergizing of the magnet 23' the spring 40 will swing the roller arm inwardly to aninoperative or non-contact posit-ion, causing the tail piece 45 to swing outwardly and retactual engagement of the roller contact 2' and contacts 16' after the timer. has, been brought out of ignition service, thus obviating wear of roller and segments, incident to unnecessary extended travel of the timer in 0 operative contact condition. By mounting the magnet in the cover or casing of the timer and bringing its armature into err-- gagement with the foot 43, and .p'ivotall'y on a line coincident with the axis of the g5 timer shaft, 'said magnetremains stationary with respect to the travel oflhc hcad 11-. thus affording simple. or fiXcd electrical connections of the magnet with its circuit.

A further modification of m v invention is shown in Fig. 11. 'lhis timer uncoutrollenis of the well known spring arm switch'31, while thecaln 10' is grounded.

A further or shunt connection -17 connecting with the primary circuit or battery circuit at 25 leads to the magnet 23, the core of which lies' in juxtaposition to'the extended terminalportion 3" of the contact arm .3; the magnet being grounded zit-[26 as described above. It will be seen that with the battery connected in circuit, the magnet 22- will-attract and hold the spring arm 3' m a position permissive of the project-ions"13 of the cam acting on the projection 2' of the arm for periodical completion of the ignition circuit. W'ith non-activity oi the magnet, it will be apparent that the spring arm will, by its own resiliency, move away from and out of contactual relatiopship with the cam, thus permitting the cam to rotate without continual vibration and resultant wear and tear of the arm,'when use of the timer is discontinued. In this partly diagrammatic view is also shown.a distributer 29 connected tothe secondar winding ofthe vibrator coil 27'.

The regular mnlti-arm cont-roller also'presents a construction in which my inventii'in may be advantageously embodied. F'gs. 12 to 16 show a. multiple-arm timer or controller in which provision is made. by my invention, for uniformly bringing the contact arms out of the path of the rcvoluble contact cam. 'The usual timer shaft 12 carries a single projection cam 48 which rotates for successive contact. with projections or com tact points 2 of spring contact. gems 49 cquidistantly disposed about the cam 48. Each of the arms 49 connects with vibrator coils 2? as in the case. of the timer shown in Fig. However, for convenience of illustration, in Fig. 12 l have'shown the device as having only two of the arms'connected to coils, it being understood that all contact arms may be likewise connected. The-projecting contact points 2 are prefertact arms 49 as shown in Figs. 15 and 16, the blade extending above such pomt sutii- 'c-iently to provide a bearing surface 50 ably formed at the base of the'hlades or cona from the base of the timer frame or casing 53 instead of being pivoted to the timer shaft, for .the purpose to be hereinafter. described, and is disposed concentrically with the timer shaft. F ixedly carried by the cam 51 is 'a lever arm 54 having an armatare- 55 for association with the electro magnet 23. A spring 56 is connected to the lever '54 and tends to hold the armature 55 away-from the magnet. The magnet 23 is connected at 25 and grounded in the battery circuit, as above described, and upon enertions 57-to bear against and distend the contact arms 49 to such a position as will free the projections 2" from contactual engage-Q ment with the cam 48. The shifting cam 51 is preferably made of insulating materiziuf so as to prevent short'circuiting from the contact arms and to obviate the necessity of, otherwise insulating the parts associated with said shifting cam. And by mounting said-cam 51 on a pivot separate from the timer shaft, liability to accidental shifting of the cam bythe-sbaft is avoided.

.It will be apparent from the foregoing description that my invention is capable of being greatly varied by those skilled in the .art without departing therefrom. The arrangements of the controlling magnet and cigeuitsmnd the construction and relative positmns of the partsas shown and. described, are merely used as typical embodiments of the broad principle of-my invention' of, overcoming continued mechanical workingof the controller or timer after it has been taken out of ignition service.

Having thus described my-invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: v

1. In ignition controllers for eiplosive 'cngines, a plurality of electric contacts, mechanism for a tuating the contacts to effect opening an closing oftiie ignition circuit and means for rendering said actuating mechanism ineffective during operation f the engine and nonuse of controller. 7

2. In ignition controllers for explosive engines, a lever, an electric contact 9530-- ciated therewith, a second electric contact, means for shifting the lever fonengage :nent of one contact with another, and mechanism for rendering the lever inoperative during operation of thc'ongine and non-use of the controller.

3. In ignition controllers for explosive engines, a lever, an electric contact amociated therewith, a second electric contact, means adapted to engage and shift the lever for engagement ofone contact with another,

- In ignition controllers for explosive en-.

gines, a plurality of contacts, a magnet adapted to-maintain association of the con- (acts,.perinissive of 'contactual engagement, and meaps ftlr bringing tho'contacts out of such operative relationship, dependent for operation upon non-use of the cpntroller.

6, 'In'igriition controllers for explosive engines,- a shiftable lever, an electric contact carried thereby, a relatively fixed contact, a second leveradaptedto operatively shift the first lever for contactual engagement, and means for discontinuing the operative association of the levers upon withdrawal of the controller from service.

7 In ignition controllers for explosive engines, a shiftable lever, an electric contact carried thereby, a. relatively fixed electric Icontact, a revoluble member for actuating the lever to efiect engagement of acontact with another, and means for bringing the lever out of o erative association; with therevol-uble mem er. 7 v 8. In ignition controllers for explosive engines, a shiftable lever, an electric contact carried thereby, a relatively fixed electric contact, a second lever associated witlr'the first lever for operative shifting of the first lever to elfect engagement of a contact with another, means for actuating the second lever, and mechanism for bringing the second lever out of operative association with the actuating means.

9. In ignition systems for explosive engines, an ignitionscircuit, a controller, and

means for renderir'fg the-controller non-operative during operation of the engine.

i 10. In ignition systems for explosive engines, an ignition circuit, a controller, and electrically controlled means for rendering the controller non-operative during operation of the on no.

11. In ignition systems for explosive engines, an ignition circuit, a controller, means for renderingthe controller non-operative during operation of the engine, and electrical mechanism for controlling the said'means 12. In ignition systems for explosive engines,.an ignition circuit, 0. controller, and

- gincs, an ignition circuit, a. controller, means for rendering the controller non-operative during operation of the eng1ne.' and an electro-magnet for controlling said means.

14. In ignition systems for explosive engines, an ignition circuit, a controller, means for rendering the controller non-operative during operation'of the engine, and an electric magnet connected in the ignition circuit and adapted to control the said means.

15. In ignition systems for explosive enines,,an ignition circuit, a controller, means or rendering the controller non-operat1ve during operation of the engine, and an electro magnet having a winding in shunt with the ignition circuit and adapted to control the said means;

16. In ignition systems for explosive engines, an electric circuit, a source of energy therefor, a controller, means, for rendering the controller operative and non-operative, and electrical mechanism for controlling the said means, dependent for operation upon connection of the circuit with the source of current ener 'y. I

17. In ignition systems for explosive en gines, an electric circuit, a controller comprising essentially a plurality of contacts and means for mechanically actuating the contacts, and electricallycont-rolled mechanism for controlling the mechanical operation of the contacts.

18. In ignition systems for explosive engines, an electric circuit, a controller comprising essentially a plurality of contacts and means for mechanically actuating the contacts, and electrically controlled mechanism for rendering the contact actuating means non-operative during operation of the engine.

my hand. RICHARD VARLEY.

lVitnesses M. A. :KI-ILLER, M. A. EARTH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

i Washington, D. C. 

